One Year Later: Gravity

October 24, 2014

It’s impossible to predict how time will weigh on films, whether they’ll grow or shrink in stature as tastes and popular culture shift around them. But in Gravity’s case, it’s hard to envision a future where, despite its rapturous reviews, overwhelming buzz, enormous box office, and trophy case full of awards, it becomes a hallowed cultural landmark. That’s because Gravity is first and foremost a shining example of what a theatrical viewing experience can be—and it’s no longer a movie you can watch in a theatrical setting. One year later, the film is already a curious object, a magnificent creation that can only be screened in less-than-optimal circumstances. That’s true of every movie, but few movies’ power diminish as noticeably at home as Gravity’s.

-Matt Singer,“One Year Later: Gravity”, The Dissolve

I didn’t know that this type of analysis was a thing, but what a great Friday afternoon read. There are a few films that seem to stand the test of time in many ways: 2001: A Space Odyssey and Jurassic Park come to mind immediately. Gravity, as Mr. Singer discusses quite astutely was one of those movies that seemed an instant classic, but I almost refuse to watch it again on a smaller screen, knowing what a ride it was in the movie theater. I would love to see what the analysis looks like after five or ten or more years from its release. Either way, I like the idea that The Dissolve has with this line of articles:

In One Year Later, we look back at the most hyped and heavily discussed movie of this month one year ago, consider its reception at that time, and examine how it holds up today, free of expectations.